Deciding The Fate Of The Great Lakes

Coalition of Great Lakes groups publish fact sheets

The amount of fresh water contained in the Great Lakes could submerge the continental United States beneath nearly 10 feet of water. But is that enough to meet the region’s future needs?

Ongoing water shortages throughout the Great Lakes Basin, and heated arguments over who exactly has the right to take water, show that state and local laws are inadequate to protect citizens and to prevent exploitation of the region’s most important natural resource.

The promise of a robust, clean supply of fresh water for homes, farms, factories, recreation, and the environment depends on conservation and clear rules to guide its use. Great Lakes governments already have taken the initiative and begun to address these issues in an important and cooperative agreement called the Great Lakes Charter Annex.

To show how and why leaders must act immediately to develop an effective plan, a coalition of citizen’s groups have produced a special report, Deciding The Fate Of The Great Lakes. The report describes the problem, offers solutions, and calls on Great Lakes leaders in the United States and Canada to take a leadership role by modernizing regional water policy.